Entwine
by Great Mistake
Summary: Mario had done a fantastic job on leaving his New York past behind him. He was living in The Mushroom Kingdom now, and was practically a new person altogether. Pauline, however, was stuck in New York. After she comes up with a brilliant plan to travel and leave her past behind her as well, an old foe of Mario's waits around the corner - determined to drag Pauline down with her.
1. Prologue

**Entwine**

* * *

Prologue

* * *

The Shadow Queen was forced to leave the world alone and to never return in her horrid form. She did as she was told, for the Crystal Stars threatened to defeat her once and for all. She didn't want to risk losing all that power to some measly jewelry, so she left the world and all its inhabitants alone. She indeed wouldn't return in this form. Perhaps, she could find faith in another.

Yes, she had done it once before with that stupid princess. It would be a cinch to do it again, but this time with a new subject.

This subject had to be naïve and careless, not having much to lose, but all to gain.

The Shadow Queen couldn't find such a subject in The Mushroom Kingdom, or Mushroom World for that matter. People would know right away.

No, she needed another world to look at. She needed another subject that had some connection to The Mushroom Kingdom – even the slightest connection would help.

* * *

Pauline wiped the bathroom mirrors with the same old cloth she had used for a year now. She wanted to make sure not a single mirror had marks or graffiti. Her boss, Jack, would be very upset in the morning if he found marks on the mirrors. She was trying her best to please him, because he had offered her a raise. Pauline needed all the money she could get.

She looked behind her to see the clock tick-tocking away. It was 5:45 A.M. in New York City and the city that never sleeps was eager to see the sun rise over the horizon.

"You can clock out, Pauline!" called a female waitress from behind the bathroom doors.

"I'm coming!"

Pauline washed the rag and walked out the door. She looked around the diner. Some employees were getting ready to open up. The early bird specials were listed in colored chalk outside on the mobile chalkboard, the chairs were placed close to each table, the floors were swept from last night's events, and the counter was gleaming with cleanliness.

"She's real pretty when the sun's 'bout to come up, ain't she?" The waitress next to Pauline smiled.

Pauline nodded and patted her red dress. "It's always beautiful around this time."

"Sure is," the waitress nodded, "Uncle Jack sure knows how to pick out his places. This diner is just about the best thing next to that Starbucks café 'cross the street. It's only a matter of time 'fore we top 'em!"

Pauline laughed, "I don't think we can really top _them_, Leah. They're pretty good."

Leah scoffed and crossed her arms, "But their coffee ain't as good as ours. Uncle Jack makes the best coffee."

"He does."

There was some silence before a few of the chefs got their areas ready. The clacking of pans and plates was an irritating sound to hear in the morning, but Pauline didn't mind as much.

Leah reached into her apron pocket and pulled out a few dollar bills. Pauline's eyes followed her hand as the bills were counted. She tried not to seem greedy and so she looked away.

"Here," Pauline felt thin paper pushed up against her arm. She looked down and took the money carefully.

"Twenty?" She sounded surprised and this only made Leah laugh.

"Yeah," Leah said, "I know ya only get ten per night, but I'll give ya twenty. Ya did good tonight." Pauline smiled with little effort, and Leah continued. "That 'nd also, I heard you're savin' up for a trip."

Pauline's smile faded and she looked back up at Leah. "How'd –"

"I heard you're goin' to Italy," Leah smirked, "It's mighty nice this time of year."

The cuckoo clock in the kitchen blared. Pauline looked over and gasped, "Six?! Already?! I'm going to be late!"

Leah nodded and let Pauline clock out. She grabbed her jacket and ran out the door, letting the small little bell by the door frame ring.

Cars whizzed past the young woman. Many were crowding up the streets already, some getting home from a long night of parties and drinks. The smell of warm, salted pretzels along with honey roasted peanuts filled the air. Pauline picked up her pace and held the twenty dollar bill tightly. She had left her purse at her apartment by accident and now she had to walk ten blocks just to make it home. Her legs ached at the very thought of climbing ten flights of stairs. The elevator had been on the fritz for days and wasn't expected to be working again for another few weeks.

Jamming her bronze key into the lock, Pauline leaned on the wooden door. Her eyes threatened to close and her body was ready to fall to the floor. Her door unlocked a moment later and Pauline stepped in. She closed the door, tossed her key on the counter, and fell on the couch. Her legs were held up by the couch's arm and her face was plotted in between the two beige couch cushions. She let out a long and tired sigh.

Her dark brown hair covered her face as she looked up. She groaned, getting up from the couch clumsily. Pauline's apartment was empty for the most part. The bedroom had a small bed, big enough to fit only one person and a vanity with scattered hair-care and makeup products. Pauline had given up on makeup shortly after 'it' happened. Her plain face didn't look any different, but she did feel naked without such a heavy coat of makeup covering her face. It was a strange sensation for a few days, but it was short-lived.

"C'mon, Pauli," she muttered as she neared her wardrobe in the studio room, "You have to be there by six thirty and it's already. . ."

The alarm clock in her room rang.

"SIX THIRTY!"

She cursed under breath and slammed the off button on the alarm clock. She raced back to wardrobe, tossing back clothes to find her gray dress.

* * *

"I'm telling you guys, she's amazing. She had a bilingual boyfriend some time ago and she knows the entire language inside and out."

The men in the meeting room all sat still, looking at the young man sitting uncomfortably at the end of the long table. The young man gulped as beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. He laughed nervously and looked at the clock. It was almost seven.

"Traffic," the young man forced a chuckle, "You know how it is."

A man coughed, but none of them seemed amused.

The meeting door opened and Pauline stepped in. She stopped, taking a good, long look at all the stern men around her. She pushed her hair back behind her ear and forced a smile. "Good morning," she became stiff and nervous.

The young man stood up and smiled, "And there she is now!"

He put his arms around her, "This is the girl that you want to hire. I'm telling you, she is perfect. Aren't you?"

Pauline let out a small squeak.

"Heh, stage fright."

"M-M-Matthew, I can't do this," Pauline whispered.

"Yes you can," Matthew responded quietly, "Just tell them why you want the job."

He pushed her gently forward. Pauline cleared her throat and tried to remain calm. "I have to apologize," she said softly, "I haven't really tried working for a professional company before. I'm a little new to the erm. . . concepts."

"Amateur," one of the men grumbled.

The other men laughed softly. Pauline tried to act more professional.

"Now, I know that you're looking for a translator, and I could be of service to you. It just depends on the language."

"We need you to translate some documents from English to Italian."

Pauline looked back at Matthew and smiled. He smiled back. "Great," Pauline turned back around, "I can do that."

"But Matthew has mentioned you haven't spoken Italian in quite some time," another man spoke, "Is this true?"

"Well," Pauline ran her fingers through her hair, "Yes. But, I learned from an old boyfriend and he was pretty fluent. He taught me for a while until . . . until . . ."

Matthew walked closer to her, "She's a little rusty, but she can speak like a native, I tell ya!"

The men glared at each other for a moment, then turned back to the two. "We will see," one said, "We have others to report to first and we will get back to you."

The men all stood up and left the room in an orderly fashion. One walked slowly behind and bumped past Matthew. "Hopefully they won't be thirty minutes late," the man huffed.

Matthew and Pauline were left alone in the meeting room.

"Oh, Pauli, Pauli, Pauli," Matthew shook his head.

"I'm sorry," she looked down.

"I can't keep covering for you like this, Pauli!"

"I know."

"I'm starting to think you don't want these jobs," Matthew propped her chin up, "Do you?"

"I do," she said quickly, "I do!"

"Then come on time!" He slammed his hand down on the table, "I'm doing this to help you. The least you could do is show up on time!"

"I'm sorry, I just got tired and I was at Jack's and . . ."

"You kept the diner job?"

Pauline stopped and looked Matthew in the eye. "Y-Yes."

"I told you to give it up! They only pay you ten bucks a night!"

"But I get paid!"

"But it's a teenager's job!"

"I get paid!"

"You're making a fool of yourself!"

"But I get _paid_!"

Everyone in the office stared at the two through the glass. Pauline lowered her voice and Matthew relaxed his shoulders. He was only trying to help her get a better paying job, but she was always letting the chance slip through her fingers.

Matthew also held a stunning resemblance to _him_, minus the mustache and that he was significantly taller. Pauline and Matthew were friends, but mostly partners. They were both on the search for a good job, but both had their flaws. Pauline never showed up on time and Matthew would always get into fights with employers, making it hard to keep the job he had. It was always a tough job just finding a job.

"Well," Matthew sighed and looked up at the clock, "I have to get back to work in an hour." He looked back over to Pauline, who held her head in shame and kept her focus on the floor. "Do you want to get a coffee or something?"

Pauline slowly looked up, ". . .Y-Yeah."

Matthew gestured to the door and smiled, "Ladies first."

* * *

Pauline rested her head on her hand and sat down on the stool by the window. The wooden counter was void of anyone other than her, which was a strange thing to see at a Starbucks. It was probably too early to be the morning rush.

Matthew came back with their coffee and handed hers over. She set the cup down and grabbed a wooden stirrer.

"You're killing yourself, Pauli," Matthew chuckled.

Pauline smiled lamely, "I can handle the double shifts and morning routine."

"No, you can't." He grabbed her by the wrist and picked her arm up. He released his grip and her arm fell straight to the wooden counter's hard surface.

"Ow," Pauline yawned.

"See, you were supposed to pull your wrist back. My grip wasn't that strong."

"It was like iron," Pauline took a sip of her coffee.

"Sure it was," Matthew rolled his eyes.

The bus stop shelter had advertisements that changed every few minutes. Matthew watched as the ad slowly changed from a phone company to an online travel company.

"Are you really going?" Matthew asked abruptly.

Pauline's quick sip turned into a loud gulp once those words escaped his mouth. She blinked, setting her cup down. "Going where?"

"To Italy," Matthew drummed his fingers on the counter. "Are you really going to move there?"

"Uhh, yeah. I guess I am."

"You _guess_?"

"I _know_," her tone sounded a little more confident, "I know I am."

"But, you've lived here all your life. You've made a living here and you're practically giving it away to live in Italy." Matthew sighed, "You never even visited there, or know anyone there."

"It's a long story," Pauline stated.

"Really?" Matthew seemed the least bit intrigued.

"And I do know one person there, or at least I hope I do."

"Yeah, well," he squared his shoulders, "Moving there is going to take a good three years of hard work."

"Whatever it takes." Pauline took another sip of her coffee.

The two walked back to the office solemnly, not speaking a word. Once Matthew reached the revolving doors of the building, he turned back to face Pauline. "I'll call you the minute they call back. _If _those men call back."

"It'd take a miracle, Matt." Pauline giggled for a minute. Matthew laughed softly with her and smiled. He walked into the building, leaving Pauline outside with the crowd of New Yorkers surrounding her.

* * *

Pauline's apartment felt strangely smaller as she walked in. She was ready to finally sleep for the first time in three days, but her rest had to wait. She remembered something she needed to do quickly.

Her eyes shifted back and forth, from row to row of books stacked tightly together on the white bookshelf. Her eyes finally locked on a small notebook with a regal spine. She pulled it out with minimal force and opened it quickly.

Pauline hadn't written in her diary for months and she felt that she should put in a small note to herself, just to keep her memories up to date.

She leafed through the thin pages and finally reached the entry she had been dreading.

_Diary –_

…_I have no words to describe what truly happened today. It was so sudden and out of nowhere. I didn't expect it, but it happened. I suppose it was inevitable, but I just feel like there was some way to prevent it. _

_To let you know, Mario is gone. No, he did not dump me, nor did I dump him, but it was a strange break-up. Try telling yourself your boyfriend fell down a man-hole in the tarred streets of 5__th__ avenue. It's not a pretty picture. No one could find him after he fell. He just fell and was never seen again. How did he fall? He was pushed, of course. Pushed by stupid drunk bastards that couldn't see what the hell was going on. _

_I loathe those men now, but they were arrested on the spot; although they can't be charged rightly yet, since Mario's body is yet to be found. . . if he truly is dead. _

_I haven't seen his brother, either. Luigi has just disappeared like air, like his brother. I hope they're both okay and well and alive. _

_I just want a sign. A way to know that Mario is safe, and that wherever he may be, he is waiting for me. I'll be waiting for him._

Pauline turned the page and noticed that the next entry was on a bit of a lighter note.

_Diary –_

_I've been having strange dreams and sensations about traveling. It's queer, since I never travel. I never have, and most likely never will. However, I keep on having dreams about going to a different place and leaving the city behind me. _

_If I remember correctly, Mario had mentioned something about going to Italy. I always have the sinking feeling that I should go there. . . for him. _

_I'll have to work hard, possibly get another job. I'm in major debt, anyway. It'll take months to get rid of it. I'm up for the challenge, though. _

_I guess I found my sign. _

Pauline smiled and grabbed a pen. She quickly jotted down some numbers and did little calculations in her head. After looking at her calculations and double checking them, she felt her body jolt up with glee. If she had done her calculations right, she would be able to go to Italy in about a month.

One month seemed like an eternity, but Pauline was certain she could do it. Nothing was going to stop her, she was sure of it.

But confidence could only bring her so far.

* * *

**If anything, I think I would need constructive criticism for this. I'm not good at writing, but I want to try. **

**And I know that Pauline is practically non-existant since the Donkey Kong games are old news, but I wanted to see what I could do with her character. I'm also one for possession and talking through other people's bodies. I knew it was a bad idea to watch The Exorcist at age 12. It's not a fun experience, kids.**

**Criticism or not, all reviews are welcome and appreciated! **

**- Great Mistake**


	2. Chapter 1

**Quick Note: I had already posted the second installment of this story a month ago, I believe. I wasn't happy with what I wrote, so I rewrote the entire chapter and I'm posting it up again. A lot changed from what I originally posted, so I suggest that you read this chapter even if you thought you've read it already.**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

* * *

_Clock in_

_Clock out_

_Clock in_

_Clock out_

This was the daily routine for Pauline for the next two weeks. And, with every penny she received, she knew she was just a little bit closer to that plane ticket.

"Pauli?"

"Ah?" She blinked a few times before her vision came into focus. She covered her mouth to yawn as she noticed that she had nearly fallen asleep on her kitchen counter. Matthew was sitting on the couch across from her, wearing a worried look on his face. Pauline pulled off one of her earrings. "You said you had something to tell me, right?"

"Yeah," Matthew said slowly. "But, you look like hell, so it can wait." He started to get up.

Pauline rushed to his side and pushed him back down. "No, it _can't _wait. I have to clock in at the diner in a couple of hours, and then I have to get up early for that job interview down in Manhattan." She started to regret moving to the city part of New York, but it had its perks. Commuting was still a problem (but when was it not?), and the worst part was that the city was always crowded. Ah, New York. The city that never sleeps was certainly becoming a huge pain in the –

"Wait, wait, wait," Matthew made her lose her train of thought, "I thought I told you to wait until you heard back from the translation company before making any new arrangements."

"I did." Pauline plopped herself down on the cushion next to him. "They said they 'found someone else.'"

She sighed and looked out the open window by the furnace. The late evening sky was the normal orange color, with disfigured clouds scattered across. It always reminded Pauline of an explosion – like some large castle in the distance, being conquered and destroyed by an army. The scene brought back memories of when she was a child, but Matthew broke her train of thought once again.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Matthew said.

Pauline turned back over to look at him. She mustered up a weak smile, "It doesn't matter." She pulled out the other earring and dropped it in her cupped hand. "You win some, you lose some," she looked back up at him, "Right?"

Matthew said nothing at first. He leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. A few strands of his brown hair fell to his eyes, forcing him to blow them back into place. Pauline had always told him to get a haircut, but he always refused. He looked much less professional with longer hair, and Pauline knew that looking casual every day wasn't really a plus in the working field.

"What did you want to tell me?"

Matthew shook his head pursed his lips. "I think we should go out and get some fresh air."

Pauline stood up and walked over to the counter, placing her earrings together. "You know I can't do that. I have to go get ready to clock into the diner in about an hour."

Matthew shrugged. "I still don't know why you kept that job. You'd be making more if you had just –"

She glared at him, stopping him midsentence. He stood up and walked over to her, leaning on the counter.

"Matt," she started to play with her long, golden earrings; "I'd rather keep a low-paying job than risk losing a high-paying one."

"Italy isn't going anywhere."

She arched an eyebrow at him.

"Why don't you go freshen up and maybe we can go somewhere."

"_Matthew_," her voice was annoyed.

He smirked. "C'mon, it'll be fun."

Pauline played with her earrings again, considering it. "I _guess_." She said '_guess_' in a heavy voice – almost making it sound sarcastic. Scooping up her earrings, she strode into her room and closed the door. Pulling her wardrobe open, she noticed one thing and one thing only.

_I need to go shopping._

* * *

The sun was set, though the city was far from dark. Office buildings, street lights, and car lights all contributed into making the city light up like a Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. Not to mention, the streets were still packed. It was like this every night, and that's what people either loved or hated about New York.

Matthew had gained them access to a cargo building off the coast of the Hudson River. He used to work there, Pauline recalled, but soon quit after being accused of stealing from one of the cargo crates. An old friend of his let them in, and they found themselves surrounded by mountains of crates; all of them were labeled, and all of them were in alphabetical order.

Pauline whirled around in awe. Matthew sighed and rubbed the area above his temple. "Just _thinking _about stacking these bad boys gives me a headache."

She giggled. "You used to stack the boxes?"

"All of 'em," Matthew nodded.

The building was still pretty spacious, considering the amount of boxes lying around. Matthew looked around until he spotted an old metal staircase. He turned back to Pauline. "Have you ever been to the Statue of Liberty before?"

She played with one of her bracelets before shaking her head slowly.

Matthew grabbed her wrist and told her to follow him, leading her up the wobbly, old staircase. She was pulled into a small room, where Matthew pulled a string to turn on a single light bulb. "Now," he said as he opened a vent on the ceiling, "I'll hoist you up and you'll pull me up afterwards."

"Matthew, I don't think this is –"

He looked into her nervous eyes and smiled. "Trust me."

He kneeled down and cupped his hands. Pauline walked over slowly and he lifted her up into the square hole in the ceiling. She crawled out and looked around before lifting Matthew up.

"It isn't much, I know, but . . . it made working here the least bit tolerable."

Pauline walked over to the rim of the gravel-covered roof. A little ways away, the green outline of the Statue of Liberty was visible. "Wow . . ."

He stood beside her, with his hands in his pockets. "It's pretty cool, right? I mean, I can't take you there right now, but if you ever want to go sometime. . ."

"I've never seen it before, either. Other than in travel pamphlets and books and such, that is."

Matthew smirked. "Your boyfriend never took you there before?"

"No," then she quickly added, "But it's not a big deal. It's not like it was a necessity or anything."

"Ah."

They felt a spritz of water in the cool breeze. A couple of waves crashed on the foundation below. It was quiet on this side of the city. In the distance, they could hear concert music playing.

"So," Matthew playfully nudged Pauline's arm with his elbow, "What was your boyfriend like?"

She held a frown. "I'd rather not talk about it."

His smile disappeared. "I can't even know his name?"

Pauline glared at him from the corner of her eye. He sighed. "Did something bad happen between you two?" Matthew leaned back in shock as he said, "Did he _hurt _you?"

"NO!" Pauline shouted. "He would never! Never assume that about him!"

Matthew relaxed his shoulders, slightly relieved. "Can I at least know where he is now? Does he have to do with this whole Italy trip?"

She looked back out towards the statue. "No," she said simply.

"Gee, I didn't know this guy was such a secret."

Pauline smiled slightly, but it soon faded. They stood in silence for a while. Her thoughts wandered somewhere else as she looked back towards the statue. _He _was indeed 'such a secret.' Pauline never spoke of him, other than when she was talking aloud to herself (which she had done more frequently now to calm herself). It was best to keep himout of the conversations she had with others. She only referred to him as 'the boyfriend', keeping his identity and past a secret.

Matthew turned to her and opened his mouth to speak, but his friend climbed up, yelling at them to come down because he was closing up for the night.

Matthew saved what he was going to say for later. He convinced himself it wasn't that important anyway.

* * *

Pauline trudged back into her apartment, feeling guilty that she didn't go to the diner that night. She _did _call to let them know beforehand, but that didn't make up for the money she lost – whatever amount it could have been.

Locking the door behind her, she noticed that the window was still open. The room was cold, and the furnace didn't help either. She pushed the window down and drew back the curtains.

A small feeling came over her. It felt as if she was being watched, but she thought nothing of it at first. _I'm only scaring myself, _she thought. Walking into her room, she noticed that a red dress was laid out on her bed. The red dress looked familiar. Pauline was pulled on the red dress she was wearing before walking over to the one on her bed. She flipped it over and looked at the hue of it. Just as she suspected,

It was _ripped_.

Someone broke into her apartment. That was the only explanation she could think of. That ripped dress was stored in a box underneath her bed for nearly 2 years. Pauline never touched it, not even to look at it. Nor did she attempt to fix the dress.

Putting the dress back in the shoe box it was once in, she sat on her bed.

"I have to be more mindful of what I leave open," she thought aloud. "The window was left open the entire time. Someone must've broke in and played around with my stuff.

But aren't I on the seventh floor? How could a person . . .

The fire escape, _of course_."

She lay back for a while, holding her arms above her head. She let out a long and exhausted sigh.

* * *

The tall woman was fast on her feet. The Toads gladly made way for her as she sped past them. She held on tightly to her wand. Her hands started sweat, but she tried her best to remain calm. _This wasn't a big problem_, she told herself over and over. _This wasn't a big problem_.

The throne room doors opened. The guards stood aside and let the woman through. The princess sat tiredly on her throne until she saw someone enter. The woman did a quick bow of the head before addressing her business.

"Princess Peach, I'm afraid I have some grave news."

* * *

**And so, there we have it. I'm much more pleased with this reboot of the chapter than the other chapter I had posted before. I also tried really hard not to make this seem like a filler chapter, but it probably rubbed off that way. **

**Criticism or not, all reviews are welcome!**

**- Great Mistake**


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